Table Of Content

DOCUMENT RESUME ED 364 036 EC 302 606 AUTHOR Casale, Jenni TITLE Student Assistance Programs and High Risk Youth. INSTITUTION Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization, Palatine, IL. SPONS AGENCY Department of Education, Washington, DC. PUB DATE 92 NOTE 223p.; A product of the Comprehensive Special Education Drug Initiative. PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom Use (055) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC09 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Communication Skills; Coping; *Disabilities; Drug Abuse; Elementary Secondary Education; *High Risk Students; *Intervention; *Prevention; Program Development; Risk; Self Esteem; *Student Behavior; *Substance Abuse; Teamwork IDENTIFIERS 12 Step Programs ABSTRACT This manual discusses a method for developing a comprehensive drug abuse prevention and intervention program for students in special education. The first section contains introductory material regarding high risk students in general and implications for special education. The second section outlines material on specific types of high-risk students, including use of alcohol and other drugs, smoking, depression and suicide, and gang involvement. The third section looks at children who grow up in dysfunctional families and the impact of this on a child's ability to function in school. In the fourth section, the concepts of "enabling" (allowing youth to continue high-risk behavior) and "empowering" (deterring high risk behavior) are discussed. The fifth section includes the "nuts and bolts" of a comprehensive program to address the needs of high-risk youth and to prevent other youth from getting involved in high risk behavior. The concept of a "core team" to implement this program is covered. Section six covers effective communication skills and research on helping children survive trauma in their lives. Ways that school can help build in protective factors which facilitate this survival (most specifically self-esteem) are discussed. Finally, information about 12-step programs of recovery (such as Alcoholics Anonymous) is presented. (References accompany each chapter.) (JDD) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improoement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERICI 'Ms document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it 0 Miner Changes have been made to nproyir reproduction quality Points ol mew or opinions Vated m this (Imp ment do not necessarily represent ()Moat OERI position or pohcy Comprehensive Special Education Drug Initiative Student Assistance Programs And High Risk Youth 2 Student AssAstance Programs And High Risk Youth by Jenni Casale, M.Ed. Project Director Comprehensive Special Education Drug Initiative The contents of this manual were developed under a However, grant from the Department of Education. these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not Government. assume endorsement by the Federal C)Copyright 1992 TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages Topic Introduction Section I: 1-5 Introduction 7-15 Kid's of the 90's 17-19 Implications for Special Education 21 References High Risk Behaviors Section II: 23-47 Adolescent Substance Abuse 49-52 Nicotine Addiction 53-67 Suicide 69-72 Kids and Gangs 73 References Dysfunctional Families Section III: 75-98 Children of Dysfunctional Fa =lies 99 References Professional Enabling Section IV: 101-111 Enabling 111-112 Empowering 113-114 Enabling Behavior Inventory 115 References Student Assistance Programs Section V: 117-121 Core Team Development 123-131 Team Building 133-142 Worksheets & Resources 143-171 Student Assistance Program Design 173-194 Referral Forms and Resources 195 References Building Wellness Section VI: 197-207 Communication 209-215 Resiliency in High Risk Kids 215-225 Understanding and Building Self-Esteem . . . . 227 References Miscellaneous Section VII: 229-237 Twelve Step Programs 239-249 Daily and Final Evaluation Forms 4 1 THE BRIDGE BUILDER An old man, going a lone highway, Came at the evening, cold and gray, To a chasm, vast and deep and wide, Through which was flowing a sullen tide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim That sullen stream had no fears for him; But he turned, when he reached the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide. "Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near, "You are wasting strength in building here. Your journey will end with the ending day; You never again must pass this way. You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide, Why build you the bridge at the eventide?" The builder lifted his old grey head. "Good friend, in the path I have come," he said, "There followeth after me today A youth whose feet must pass this way This chasm that has been naught to me To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be. He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building the bridge for him." Will Allen Dromgoole 3 INTRODUCTION As educators, all of you are "bridge builders" who bring to your classroom a variety of skills and experiences which allow you to reach out As special educators, you deal with a population of to your students, students who are, perhaps, the most "at-risk" of all student populations. These are young people who suffer from low self-esteem; who are experiencing difficulty or even failure in school; who feel "different" from other students and are constantly searching for ways to fit in; and Individually there are many whose coping skills are seriously lacking. things you can do to make a difference in these students' lives. Collectively, as a team, that ability to make a difference is magnified. The national effort to ensure drug-free schools has, over the years, produced a wide array of school-based prevention/education and intervention Prevention programs have ranged from those which focus on drug efforts. information and the dangers of drug use to those stressing affective Intervention models have usually involved t2chniques and skill building. the two extremes of suspension and expulsion or overlooking the natural Although consequences of the behavior and sending the child to treatment. each method has some strengths, none of them have been effective in isolation. Current research into substance abuse prevention and intervention in indicates the need to move toward a program that is more comprehensive known as a nature and that promotes general wellness rather than being According to the Prevention Resource Center in "drug program". Springfield, IL, "efforts focused on a single system and single strategy 4 will probably fail". To be effective, programs must "target multiple systems (youth, families, schools, workplaces, community organizations, and media) and use multiple strategies (provide accurate information, develop life skills, create positive alternatives, train impactors, and change community policies and norms)". Throughout this manual, a method for developing a comprehensive prevention and intervention program will be discussed. Although the responsibility for responding to the needs of high-risk stadents does not rest solely on the shoulders of school personnel, school is an ideal place Within the school setting are trained to address many of these issues. adults who each see the child from a slightly different perspective and often notice problem behavior before it becomes evident in the home or Students also spend a large percentage of their day in school community. which makes it an excellent place for on-going programs of support and skll building. Finally, the task of the selool is to educate students and When prepare them to move successfully into their chosen caleer path. issues such as substance abuse, suicide or living in a dysfunctional family occur in a child's life, it often interferes with the educational process. It then becomes necessary for school personnel to assist in resolving these This does not mean issues so that the learning process can be facilitated. It does mean that schools need to that educators will become therapists. establish programs to address more than the 3 R's. This manual is divided into several sections to help organize the The first section contains introductory material into a useful model. material regarding high risk students in general and specific issues for The second section outlines special education regarding substance abuse. use of alcohol material on specific types of high-risk students including: 5 and other drugs; smoking; depression and suicide; and gang involvement. The third section looks at children who grow up in families where there is some type of dysfunction (chemical dependency, abuse, mental illness, etc.) In the and how that can impact on a child's ability to function in school. fourth section the concepts of "enabling" (how we can allow kids to continue high-risk behavior) and "empowering" (how we can deter high-risk The fifth section includes all of the "nuts and behavior) are discussed. bolts" of a comprehensive program to address the needs of high-risk kids and to prevent other children from getting involved in high-risk behavior. The concept of a "Core Team" to implement this program is also covered. Section six covers two very important topics in prevention and Effective communication communication and resiliency. intervention: skills are examined along with the latest research about helping children Ways that schools can help survive trauma in their lives (resiliency). 411 build in protective factors which facilitate this survival (most Finally, under the miscellaneous specifically self-esteem) are discussed. section is information about 12-Step Programs of recovery (such as AA, NA, Since many students who go through a treatment program for Alanon, etc.). addiction will be involved in these, it is important for school personnel to understand their principles. Unfortunately, in dealing There are no magic answers in this manual. There are, however, with high-risk kids, there are also no easy answers. tactics that have been proven effective in helping students who have gotten involved in dysfunctional behavior to change and in helping other students who are at risk for these behaviors to chose more healthy coping skills. ultimately We hope that this material will be useful and will make your job easier and the lives of your students more successful. 7 KIDS OF THE 90'S Just when I was getting used to yesterday.... Along came today. -Aahleigh Brilliant- The world of the 1990's is very different from the world of even 15-20 years ago. Some of the changes that have occurred have been positive, others have been negative. All of them have had the effect of putting kids more at risk for dysfunctional behavior such as substance abuse, sexual promiscuity, delinquency, and suicide. The primary factor in this risk is the existence of stress created by the changes in kids' world. Stress is a difficult concept to define. The dictionary definition is vague and general, stating that it is "a factor that induces bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation". What this seems to indicate is that what is crucial is not the specific factor, but the person's response to the factor. Therefore, anything can be a stressor. Generally we view stress as a reaction to some form of change or crisis that goes beyond what is considered normal. Many different stress inventories have been developed, all of which focus on change or crisis in a person's life (some positive, some negative). Ultimately, as stress increases so does a person's risk potential. And as the person's risk increases, their stress level also increases creating a vicious circle. Adolescence is a time of change and stress under the best of circumstances. Their bodies are growing and changing rapidly, particularly with respect to hormonal and sexual development. This causes severe mood swings and insecurity as each adolescent tries to measure their body next 8 These kids are also beginning to make the break out of the to their peers. This means separating from relative safety of childhood into adulthood. family, making career choices, learning to be responsible, and identifying their own life values. T4e hormonal/physical Childhood is only Flightly less volatile. changes and drive toward independence may not be ?resent (or at least not And if we to the same extent) but there is rapid change nonetheless. consider stress as being change that is outside of what is familiar, then due to their lack of experience any change is stressful. The changes that we see in the world of today can be found in many Family structure, schools, areas, all of which impact the individual. communities, institutions, media, and technology have all changed The U.S. Department of Labor has estimated that with the dramatically. present rate of technological change, workers must be retrained every 18 Although this represents a months in order to keep up with advances. positive change in many ways, is it any wonder that students find it hard to get excited about learning material that may be outdated by the time they get a chance to use it? H. Stephen Glenn has Family structure has also changed dramatically. He has found a spent a lot of time studying children and their families. major transition occurring in lifestyles, all of which impacts kids and Some of the changes he has identified include: their risk potential. Norm 1980 Norm 1930 * Low family interaction * High flmily interaction 12i minutes per day 2-4 hours per day * Average 7 hrs TV per day * No television * Logical consequences avoided * Logical consequences * Few intergenerational * Many intergenerational relations relations 1 0